Triggering control for severing device



1967 H. M. PREUSSER 3,30 25 TRIGGERING CONTROL FOR SEVERING DEVICE Filed June 11, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR. HEA/AY M 2250555 A 1 M 471/ AGZ United States Patent O 3,304,825 TRIGGERING CONTROL FOR SEVERING DEVICE Henry M. Preusser, Seattle, Wash., assignor to Weyerhaeuser Company, Tacoma, Wash. Filed June 11, 1963, Ser. No. 287,086 4 Claims. (Cl. 83-292) This invention relates to manufacturing laminated materials wherein laminae are held together by adhesives. More particularly the invention relates to initiating severing of such laminated materials while they are traveling on a continuous flow production line.

The purpose of the invention is to provide automatic sensing controls initiating severing operations to part continuous webs and at times substantially continuous included veneers, previously laid upon separate lamina traveling, slightly spaced but otherwise end to end, along conveying means as illustrated and described in application, Serial No. 219,410, now Patent No. 3,247,042 entitled, Apparatus and Method for Manufacturing Laminar Materials Joined Together With Wet Adhesive Webs.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a means of directing each separate lamina through an elevation change so subsequently the dropping-trailing edge of the lamina will contact sensing means which in turn will direct energy to a severing means, providing the leading edge of the same lamina has contacted a monitoring means likewise controlling energy directed to the severing means.

An embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of FIG- URE 1 of application, Serial No. 219,410, including additions of new sensing apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of FIG- URE 2 of application, Serial No. 219,410, includingadditions of new sensing apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1, showing sensing controls of the severing means which are actuated by the trailing edge of lamina as the lamina abruptly changes its angularity and elevation; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, illustrating monitoring controls of the severing means which are actuated by the leading edge of the lamina as the lamina passes by the monitoring controls.

As described in application, Serial No. 219,410, lamina are joined together with adhesives carried on a continuous web lamina. Also cross-band core strips are continuously fed into the continuous flow manufacturing apparatus when additional plies are included in the final laminated product. As a result, spaced lamina travel along the conveyor supporting continuous wet webs and core or cross-band laminations. Prior to the stacking of the modules, the continuous wet web and the cross-band core materials are severed by using flying cutters, clippers or the like.

The operation of such a severing means could be undertaken manually but preferably automatic operation is desired. Also rather than rely on a severing timing system not directly related to the flow of lamina which consequently would not conveniently adjust to spacing changes or lamina length variations, the severing timing system of the illustrated embodiment senses passage of the trailing edge of a lamina. Thereafter the severing means is actuated promptly to cut the wet web and the possibly included cross-band cores.

Because the trailing edge sensing means must be reasonably sensitive, it is also capable of unintended occasional operation triggered by imperfections in the bottom surface of passing lamina. For example, protruding knots in plywood face materials have been known to operate the 7 the unintended operation of the trailing edge sensing equipment.

lamina sensing means before observing the passage of trailing lamina edges and consequently the unintended operation of the severing means, a leading edge monitoring sensor is selectively positioned ahead on the conveyor just short of a standard lamina length. Until the monitoring sensor is actuated the severing means will not operate even though triggered by a surface imperfection on the trailing edge of a short lamina.

An embodiment of the severing means triggering system 220 is illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 .and 4, the trailing edge portion sensing means 221 being shown in more detail in FIGURE 3 and the leading edge portion monitoring means 222 being shown in more detail in FIGURE 4. In both FIGURES 3 and 4, for illustrative purposes, the

' moving laminated materials on the conveyor 14 are indicated as being composed of spaced backs 11, underlying two spaced wet Webs 15 and 16 which are respectively below and above abutting crossband core sections 13. The conveying means 14 at this location comprising, in part, drive belts 223 traveling around driven pulley wheels 224 .to transport laminated materials directly by sensing and monitoring locations. However, at the sensing location the leading edge portion 225 of a back 11 travels also on a ramp 226 resulting in the entire back 11 going over the ramp and the ramps included roller 227, which serves as a friction reducer. After the trailing edge portion 228 of the back 11 passes over roller 227, it drops striking a pivotable contact arm 229 pivoted to a frame member 230. This frame member 230 and a like one spaced apart are mounted with fasteners 231 to plywood 232 serving as structural framing of conveyor 14. The pivoting contact arm 2 29 operates a micro switch 233 which releases electrical energy for passage through leads 234, 235 to the severing means 47 which is eflective unless the monitoring means 222 has not been contacted and actuated by the leading edge portion 225 of the back 11.

The actuation of the monitoring means 222 is illustrated in FIGURE 4. Leading edge portion 225 contacts a roller-follower 238 as the laminated material carries the respective back 11 to and by the roller-follower 238.

The roller-follower 238 is depressed moving a plunger as-- sembly 239 connected in turn to a micro switch 240. This switch 240 monitors the sequence interval when electrical energy is passable through leads 241, 242, forming a circuit (not shown) inclusive of leads 234, 235, associated with the other micro switch 233. When the roller-follower 238 is depressed upon arrival of leading edge portion 225, electrical energy will flow to the severing means 47 when the trailing edge portion sensing means 221 is operated.

To insure the trailing edge portion sensing means 221 will operate positively and also to calibrate the timing occurring between its operation and starting the severing means 47, a pressure Wheel 245 is adjustably located from above in rolling contact with a limited width of the passing top wet web 16. The variance of the distance along the conveyor means 14 between the ramp roller 227 and the pressure wheel 245 and the adjustable pressure, serve as a sensitivity adjustment means. The distance is changed by selectively positioning the mounting of the pressure actuator wheel support 246 on the overhead bracket 247. The cross beam 248 supports the bracket 247 over the centerline of the conveying means 14. The cross beam 248 in turn is supported by stanchions 249.

This illustrated embodiment of the severing means triggering system 220 sensing the terminal end of the passing lamina of correct length before causing operation of the severing means when properly positioned and cali- Therefore, to prevent brated, is considered the best system to initiate the severing means. Photoelectric sensors, for example, proved to be inapplicable to this problem of detecting the junction where the parting of continuous material extending across and between separate lamina is desired.

I claim:

1. A triggering system for initiating operation of a severing means to separate continuous materials overlaid on separate lamina while all materials are being conveyed during a production run comprising: means to detect the flow of a substantially full size lamina; a means to detect the passing of the trailing edge of said lamina; and means of controlling energy supplied to the severing means which initiates its operation responsive to the sequential operation of the full size lamina detection means and the passing lamina edge detection means.

2. A triggering system for initiating operation of severing means effective in completely separating only continuous materials moving on a conveyor while supported on separate lamina, comprising: a means to cause an elevation change in the lamina during the conveyor run in advance of the severing means location, a means to yieldably receive the trailing edge of the traveling lamina as it leaves the elevation changing means and an energy control means responsive to the yieldable receiving means directing energy to the severing means timely separating only the continuous materials without erroneously severing the lamina.

3. In a triggering system, as defined in claim 2, having in addition to the trailing lamina edge sensing means, a leading lamina edge sensing means serving to monitor the trailing lamina edge sensing means, so the latter will only be effective if a full size lamina is in the severing location.

4. In a triggering system for initiating operation of severing means which separates continuous materials between co-traveling separate lamina during a production run, a lamina detection means, comprising: an elevation changing structure in the path of the traveling lamina, a deflectable receiving structure beyond the elevation changing structure to receive the moving lamina and an energy control device actuated by the defiectable receiving structure causing energy to flow to the severing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,586,903 2/1952 Badenhausen et al. 156-353 X 2,840,163 6/1958 Fischer 83-371 3,029,675 4/1962 Alexander et al. 83371 X EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner. J. P. MELOCHE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TRIGGERING SYSTEM FOR INITIATING OPEARTION OF A SEVERING MEANS TO SEPARATE CONTINUOUS MATERIALS OVERLAID ON SEPARATE LAMINA WHILE ALL MATERIALS ARE BEING CONVEYED DURING A PRODUCTION RUN COMPRISING: MEANS TO DETECT THE FLOW OF A SUBSTANTIALLY FULL SIZE LAMINA; A MEANS TO DETECT THE PASSING OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF SAID LAMINA; AND MEANS OF CONTROLLING ENERGY SUPPLIED TO THE SEVERING MEANS WHICH INITIATES ITS OPERATION RESPONSIVE TO THE SEQUENTIAL OPERATION OF THE FULL SIZE LAMINA DETECTION MEANS AND THE PASSING LAMINA EDGE DETECTION MEANS. 